The present invention relates generally to wireless communications devices, and particularly wireless communications devices capable of push-to-talk functionality.
Push-To-Talk (PTT) functionality allows point-to-multipoint communications between users. Transmissions are usually half-duplex, and require a user to press and hold a button on the wireless communications device while speaking into a microphone. PTT is a functionality that is most often associated with private radio systems. However, recent efforts have led to a set of standards that will permit PTT functionality over packet-switched networks. This set of standards is known as the Push-To-Talk over Cellular (PoC) standards, and employs Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) for signaling.
One type of functionality associated with communications systems is caller identification (e.g., caller ID). This permits a recipient of a cellular telephone call, for example, to know whom the calling party is before answering the call. However, existing methods of identifying calling parties are configured to use information stored on an entity in the network or on the recipient's phone. For example, some conventional methods will identify a calling party only if the calling party appears in the recipient's contact list or address book. This method does not allow a recipient to identify unknown parties, nor does it permit the recipient to identify known parties calling from unknown numbers. Further, conventional caller ID functionality does not permit the calling party to customize identification messages sent to the recipient. Rather, recipients receive only a name and/or telephone number associated with the calling party. What is needed is a method that permits calling parties to customize the appearance of a caller ID, and configure its presentation to a recipient.